Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

The Gist:

A few years after the battle of Chicago, Both Autobots and Decepticons are being hunted and exterminated. In Texas, Cade Yaeger (Mark Wahlberg), a down on his luck inventor comes across a badly wounded Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) who is hiding from the military and CIA run by Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammer). Also billionaire inventor Joshua Joyce (Stanley Tucci) is using the transformers technology for his own diabolical means. And there’s also an alien Transformers bounty hunter with a cannon for a face hunting Optimus Prime.

The Review:

Think the gist was long? That’s nothing compared to the films running time which clocks at two hours and forty minutes. So with all the main plots and subplots, how does Transformers: Age of Extinction stand up? I got to say pretty damn well (surprisingly!) even going as far as saying it could surpass the first one which, ok, isn’t saying much.

So the film begins a couple billion years ago where dinosaurs roamed the Earth. An alien ship (not transformers, aliens) drops a bomb turning everything into metal and that is what the transformers are made out of. Billionaire inventor Joyce (Stanley Tucci, always a joy to watch) has dubbed it: “Transformiumium…mium” I don’t know, there weren’t any subtitles plus I don’t think the word will really catch on. Anyway, Joyce is harvesting the stuff brought to him by the seedy head of the CIA Attinger (Grammer) I have to say that these two play their roles straight, with Tucci wanting to help advance technology and Grammer playing his most diabolical and evil role yet, both come out with flying colours.

But we can’t have a Michael Bay movie without some form of single father versus insanely hot daughter (Nicola Peltz) where the camera seems to always be angled a few inches below her buttocks, subplot now can we? Mark Wahlberg is the polar opposite of Tucci’s character, he’s also an inventor that lives on a farm as most of his inventions break down, he’s being evicted sooner or later. That is until he discovers an old truck in a cinema. It’s funny how self aware and uncaring Bay is to his critics especially when the cinema owner states “everyone is interested in crap sequels and remakes,” something that Bay and his company Platinum Dunes are well known for doing.

So Wahlberg realises that the truck could be a transformer and decides to awaken him. Optimus wakes and is pissed. Despite getting rid of the previous cast members Bay kept Peter Cullen as the voice of Optimus and thank god, for when he gets angry you damn well feel it!
Not long after the CIA arrive Wahlberg, along with Tessa his daughter and her Irish boyfriend Shane Dyson (Jack Reynor) a rally driver are on the run.
Then there’s cannonface. Cannonface works like The Wolf did in Pulp Fiction, cleaning up the mess left behind by the Autobots and Decepticons. And of course he has his own agenda which will be left for future sequels.

Believe it or not this seemed to me the most character driven of the franchise. The running time is long and as Bay and screenwriter Ehren Kruger decided to focus on the humans and their intentions. Wahlberg plays it genuine and straight as a father who wants nothing but the best for his daughter. Grammer although evil, is doing what he can to protect his country and race, Tucci the same but his ideals are a tad different. Conversations and elements about what is a soul and all that are also added but come on, bring us the action.

So how does the action fare up then? Some pros and cons. Bay has slowed down his rapid seizure inducing million cuts a second editing since he has taken 3D to heart. The shots linger on and are slowed down at times which make the action more exciting. He still likes to shake his camera a lot but hey it’s a minor(ish) complaint. But every now and then his editing doesn’t make any sense at all. One minute Optimus is surrounded by his fellow Autobots, Bumblebee, Drift (Ken Watanabe) and Hound, a pot bellied transformer who has a beard…someone care to explain? Oh whatever it looks cool, and Crosshairs. Exactly two seconds later he is completely alone to get his arse kicked and taken away for the sake of the plot. Seriously Optimus must be the most unlucky of Transformers.

Many times throughout the film, I as well as the other members of the audience were turning their heads to the far left of the screen or right mainly because there would be an awesome robot battle happening only for the camera to move away and focus on something completely irrelevant. It doesn’t happen often but I see where Michael was heading by making us want to care for the characters and how in danger they will be when near such battles but still, come on a cut away wouldn’t hurt not have the camera linger on them while something can be barely be seen in the background.

The final battle though is quite astonishing if I do say so. The action shifts to China and Cannonface uses his spacecraft magnet to suck everything up from ships to cars to the Transformers themselves and throw it back down. I will admit that, action scene did have me on the edge of my seat. If you’re going for the Dinobots be warned, they don’t show up till about two hours into the movie.

Another thing to mention is the 3D. I can honestly say that this could be some of the best 3D I have seen. The prehistoric opening is simple but effective. Bay’s famous sweeping shots are still there and enhanced. I cannot remember if anything flew at and distracted me so that’s a plus. Even the night time action scenes could clearly be seen.

The Verdict:

Bay and Kruger have learnt from their past mistakes. Gone are the annoying characters without mention, as well as the constant military butt kissing seen in the previous films. What we have here with Transformers: Age of Extinction is probably the Transformers movie we have been waiting for. Questions such as “how will the world react and change if contact with aliens is made” are dealt with here and executed well within this universe. Something that should have been done by the second film. They have a long way to go to make the perfect Transformers movie but I can honestly say they are heading in the right direction with its new found cast and new level of maturity. Granted maturity is a strange word to use in a film like Transformers but comparing it to the previous ones, it’s the most adult one yet. But please Michael from a fan, (don’t hate) please make T5 shorter, I don’t know if my tailbone will be able to take it.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Peyhk7ZS8

Certificate: 12A

Director: Michael Bay

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Kelsey Grammer, Stanley Tucci, Jack Reynor

Running Time: 165 minutes

Release Date: 5th July 2014